Tales of compassion
by A-01
Summary: Two pasts defined by loss and pain can bring two astronomically different people together in emotional understanding. This is just a little thing that popped into my head, it's meant to be emotionally based and as far as I'm concerned doesn't seem unrealistic. May evolve in future to a larger collection of one shot compassion fics


**Just an update to readers who are on author alerts for my work, have to point out that my fanfic work is not exactly planned and I only do it to use up creative overflow that I need to express in easier ways from my work, so I'm sorry if I don't update stories quickly. This might turn into a compilation of emotional/touching stories featuring various characters, this one is a Mshep/Falere. And before this gets flames, this little story is not about sex or a "score", this is about emotional understanding between two characters and them having an emotional connection through their experiences and past. Also because I found Falere to have one of the saddest scenes in the game. (This is not edited, apologies for mistakes. Updating mass affection soon) **

_**Falere: Unsaid words. **_

_No, please don't think of her, is it not enough that I am cursed with this condition, why, WHY GODDESS DID YOU TAKE MY SISTER FROM ME! _

Falere sucked in a deep ragged breath, attempting to be brave and push away her fear and pain in the loving memory of her beloved sister who she'd spent the past four hundred years with.

_Goddess; please watch over Shepard, the way he watched over my mother and I, please watch over my mother as she fights the enemy who took what little I had. _

A set of silent tears rolled down her soft cheeks as her lips trembled in hurt; her eyes wandered the dimly lit private dormitory.

The dull glow of the door control and the two candles by her side were the only light she had. Upon Shepard and her mother leaving the monastery she had made finding a place to sleep her top priority, in the battle nearly every corner of the complex had been disgraced or destroyed to some extent.

Her eyes traced from the warm glow of the candle by her side to her outstretched fingers above, seeking the meagre warmth that the small flame provided.

The sight of her fingers ushered another set of tears to her eyes, fingers that had intertwined with her sisters' on a daily basis.

Then Shepard had arrived; only hours after the final commandos fell to the mutated Asari who had once been dear, and long time friends.

Her sense of urgency to be with her sister had been the only thing that subdued her curiosity at seeing a Human for the first time in the flesh, let alone the final Prothean, and unshackled AI who were in tow.

Her mind spun in turmoil at the memory, merely a week old.

_Mother, even colder than the day she left us, yet she had shown such confidence in Shepard being right about the situation._

Falere closed her eyes slowly, willing herself back into the memory of Shepard holding her mothers hands behind her back to prevent the suicide.

_That says so much about both of them, mother, who was so willing to kill herself so she didn't have to follow her code and kill me, a code she's followed for four hundred years, does that not prove her love? _

Her eyes flickered open ever so slightly, she focused on the candlelight as her right hand reached between her crossed legs beneath her and retrieved the datapad that Shepard had left behind for her, giving her extranet access.

As it came to life it settled on its default page, "current news!"

It was certainly nothing to be inspired towards happiness by; image after image of war zones, numerous cities on numerous worlds burning, civilians running and screaming and bleeding, soldiers shooting, and screaming into radios.

Each photo had a small chunk of text beneath it, she barely stopped scrolling down to read each, reading several dozen the first time had been enough, the words summed up the loss of the people in the photos in much greater depth than the photo ever could.

"Reapers encroaching on Thessia!" The title frightened her, she had never seen Thessia, but she knew of its beauty and glory, and she knew that her mother was there fighting the enemy.

_Will the Reapers find this place if they succeed? If they do not, will I live out the rest of my days here? What will be my end, starvation?" _

She questioned herself hopelessly as she moved on from the Thessia breaking news.

Her eyes glued to the name that dominated the next title, marked as having been published only two days after her meeting with Shepard and her mother; "Commander Shepard, first Human Spectre has brokered a peace between the Quarians and the Geth, as well as getting the Quarian home world back; Quarian and Geth fleets are now aiding on the Reaper front."

_And I'm stuck here… If anyone could understand my pain it would be Shepard, if only I could have spoken to him, why did I lash out at him after he pulled me from Rila, it was what she wanted… _

Lonely memories flooded her mind again as she dropped the datapad back between the crumpled fabric of her dress around her crossed legs.

She was suddenly more alone than she'd ever been, she had found the Matriarchs private dormitory to be the only one untouched, the Matriarch herself had chosen to live in the same manner as the Ardat-Yakshi she guided; her room was relatively bare, it held a simple single bed, a desk with a cushioned chair, and a painting of Thessia hanging on the wall.

The sensation of tears running from her sky blue eyes down her cheeks and the sound of her own pained sobs were the only things she had known for a day and a night before she had tasked herself to wandering what remained of her home and finding anything useful.

Her hunt had proved relatively successful; she had stumbled across a surprisingly untouched pantry full of emergency protein packs and candles. The discovery of the ancient method of lighting had made her realize that the monasteries power supply was dwindling from damage caused during the attack.

She had searched all day until she found the generator; her fears had been confirmed as the simple VI informed her that power was ebbing from the dying machinery.

She almost scoffed at the thought that she was quiet simply digressing down at least twelve thousand years of Asari technological advancement.

She had kept her calm, stayed focused on survival as she changed the power output parameters so that it would only power essential doors to give her the longest possible use of the monastery.

The following days she had wandered the rubble, searching for anything that could give her some form of purpose, her vain search ended in a somewhat expected sense of disappointment as she finally confined herself to the small bare room that she now called hers.

Hours upon hours passed, spent thinking of her lost friends and family, contemplating what else could happen to her, what Morinth had felt when she ran, shedding tears of despair, and shallow sleeping haunted by terrifying nightmares.

The protein packs had originally been a source of disgust as the unrelenting cruel flavour dominated her taste buds when she had the need to eat; soon as aimless days claimed her the food that she had turned her nose up at became the one bright part of her day.

She snapped her head up again, pulling herself out from her depressed memories; a distant scuff of rubble carried from the hallway beyond the door. Her heart fluttered then froze in her chest as she heard movement again.

_So it is my end, here, now, they're coming to finish me off… But what if it is mother?_

She gently rose from her cross-legged position on the carpeted floor and made her way to the bed; reaching forward she plumped the pillows and propped them against the wall before settling down comfortably facing the door.

_If it's my time then I'm going out comfortably._

Her breathing settled into a relaxed intake of oxygen as she calmed her nerves at the sudden sound of scraping on metal and wrenching of machinery.

_The other rooms, it cannot be mother; she would not attempt to push open damaged doors to find me. But why are these creatures not making that terrible noise that they were last time?_

The sound of heavy footfalls followed, she leant over the side of the bed and blew out the two candles. She imagined some Reaper pawn standing at her door, considering some new way of perverting what she was.

The holographic interface rotated as it began to open, "Falere? Are you here?"

Her heart fluttered at the voice, she had expected certain death, but had been greeted with the comforting tones of Commander Shepards words.

"Yes," she said breathlessly as she produced a small lighter from a hidden pocket and lit the candles again, "I am here?"

His figure was silhouetted in the doorframe, the dim glow from the candles by her side hardly illuminating him.

"I wanted to…"

She watched silently, curiously, as he dropped his dark figure changed in posture, his head now looking down in thought and conflict.

"I needed to come here, to tell you how sorry I am for what happened to you."

Her rational side felt a slight sense of surprise as a faint smile settled on her lips.

His body shifted again and she noticed the missing bulky outline of his armour, she couldn't see it, but she knew he was looking into her eyes.

The man stayed where he was as she pondered what to do next, what his real reasons were, what plot might be posed against her.

_The man who just ended a three hundred year war, and who has united almost the entire galaxy in the past four weeks is at my door, waiting for me to invite him in._

She whispered the words in her internal monolog of thought, hardly believing it herself as she gracefully rose from the bed in a fashion conveying pride and respect.

"Come in, please," she ushered as politely as her previous week of emotional trauma would allow.

She turned away from seeing him step into the room as she set about the task of spreading more candles across the table and lighting each of them, giving enough light to expose the Human to her eyes.

She shuddered lightly as his hand softly landed on her upper arm, his hand far larger than any hand that had ever touched her.

_What is this? _

Falere turned her body back to face him fully, her eyes looking up into his blue ones above hers; despite her superior years, she felt small in his gaze.

"When I agreed to help Samara catch Morinth I understood why, then when I made the choice to allow Samara to kill her, I understood why Morinth had run, I sympathize with both views."

She knew his mouth was moving as he formed words, but her eyes were fixed to his, only hearing his words as though they were coming from his soul.

"Then we came here, and you lost your sister, and your home, and your friends, and your mother has left again; I know how lost and how sad you must feel, how alone you are."

Her breathing grew faster as his body came closer to hers; she felt the pang of the Ardat-Yakshi in her rearing its head.

_No, whatever is going to happen, I want this to happen his way, I am not a monster!_

"I grew up in slums, in gangs, friends turned on each other for money, I became a marine, trained in the N7 program, formed a squad of brothers and sisters, then I alone survived, then the hunt of Saren and losing a friend, and being rejected by the council when I tried to warn them, and then it happened again and now what I warned has come to pass."

Her shallow breaths sped up as his firm, muscular chest pressed against her bust and his arm wrapped around her body in an embrace.

_What is this? I feel safe, protected, is this a dream?_

Her eye lids fluttered shut as the sensation of his lips planting a soft kiss on her forehead translated to her nervous system, she concentrated on the steady beat of his heart through his chest against her breasts, taking comfort in the deliberate feeling rhythm.

Her breathing relaxed in the embrace and her neutral expression shifted to a contented expression.

She held her pose as his hot breath passed her ear as he spoke again, "I understand, and I'm so sorry for what has happened to you."

Her lips pursed in a push of confidence as she gently twined her arms around his torso.

_Goddess, is this my reward? Did you give me this curse so that this could happen?_

"I know what you are, but that's not who you are."

Her mind felt strangely calm as his hands descended from her back and settled on her waist, she thoughtlessly mirrored his motion and likewise positioned her hands softly over his waist.

Instincts never addressed guided her as she tilted her head upwards to meet him, their lips connected softly in the dimly lit room.

_Goddess, thank you for giving me this, you grace me in light of the curse I was burdened with._

Shepard pulled back slowly, opening his eyes to scan her expression.

She smiled softly at him and raised herself on her toes, her lips parting before connecting with his again.

He followed her desire seamlessly as deepened the kiss, their tongues beginning a slow connective embrace between them.

_I am Falere, daughter of Samara, sister to Morinth and Rila, survivor of the Ardat-Yakshi monastery, and I refuse to ever allow my curse to hurt those close to me._

She sighed into the kiss as Shepards' body pressed against hers and his arms wrapped around the mid of her back, raising her ever so lightly from the floor.

She withdrew her lips from his and pressed her forehead softly against his, "Goddess. Shepard, thank you, I won't allow my curse to harm you, and I will experience this as a wom-" her breathless words of trust were quieted by his gently whispered words

"Shhhh, I'll always be here when you need me."


End file.
